Dark Angel of Fire
by Soulfire
Summary: There are thousands of stories about how Vegeta and Bulma got togeather. But what about Vegeta's father? Who was his mate? How did *they* get togeather? This story is my version of how it happened.


-Author's note- Just so you don't get confused, when I refer to Prince Vegeta in this chaper, it is not Bulma's Vegeta. It is Bulma's Vegeta's father. (lol. Did that make sense?) Bulma's Vegeta isn't born yet, and won't be for awhile. Well, I'm sure you'll get it. Enjoy the story. Oh, and please review; constructive critisism is aprecieated, so don't be afraid to point out something you thing needs work. That's the only way I'll be able to improve my writing!  
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The young prince absently played with the hem of his red cape as an elete Sayian greeted his father. This visit was going to be shere torture. Although Prince Vegeta usualy enjoyed visiting the elite of his planet, this time was different. Now that he had celebrated his twenty second birthday, he had to choose his future queen; naturally, as soon as the word spread that the prince was seeking a mate, every Sayian female that had a decent powerlevel started thorowing herself at him in a desperate attemt to become the future queen. He hadn't minded so much at first, but it was starting to get rediculous. Now, the sooner he chose one, the sooner he could get some peace and quiet.   
"Son!"  
Vegeta came to attention at the shound of his father's voice. "Yes, sir?"  
"Don't be timid. Come have your first look at Yaksha's daughters!"   
The prince came to stand beside his father, blinking in surprise at the line of women before him. Many Sayain women died after giving birth to their first child, very rarely did any bear more than two - but here Yaksha's mate had produced five girls, who were small for their age, but otherwise perfectly healthy. Vegeta wondered at this as he looked them over.  
The first was evidently the oldest - she looked to be a year or two older than himself. Her simple dress split on the side to reveal one of her well-toned legs. This one obviously practised athletics. Her short black hair spiked upward around a boyish face. She had attempted to soften her features with a great deal of eyemakeup which made her look quite rediculous.  
The second was a bit on the scrawny side. A white flower seemed to bloom out from behind one of her ears, which complemented her complexion nicely. Her hair was brown like her father's and spiked downward, reaching the middle of her back. Her black eyes begged him to choose her.   
The third stood out among her sisters. She held a good deal of natural beauty, with her generous curves and expressive eyes demanding his attention. The clothing she wore left very little to the immagination. Vegeta made a mental note to remember her as a definate possiblilty as his eyes swept to the fourth girl.  
The most noticable thing about her was the ornate jewelry covering her arms. Other than that, she was quite plain - nothing remarkable about her short brown hair or small eyes. She held a bored expression on her face as if she knew she would never be picked and wished to be doing something, anything, more entertaining.  
The last girl was more child than woman, with freckles spattered across her nose and her brown hair sticking out in odd angles that made it look as if it were in permanent pigtails. Her large eyes looked up at him with respect and admiration. She was cute, but . . . not what he had in mind.  
Vegeta smirked. He felt like he was choosing a stallion to ride instead of his future mate. Maybe he should open their mouths and check their teeth? The prince barely supressed the urge to chuckle at his thoughts, knowing his father would beat him for laughing at such a time as this.   
He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced at a few scattered boulders at the base of a mountain range in the distance. There a girl appeared, barefoot and in a light blue summerdress that showed off a pair of long legs that enabled her to jump from rock to rock with ease. Her black hair held hardly any Sayain spike - and it flowed just passed her waist, with a few smaller pieces framing her delicate face. She knelt down on one of the bolders to inspect something that had cought her attention. As the wind picked up, causing her long locks to dance in the sunlight, Prince Vegeta stood mesmerized.  
"Who is that?" he croaked, barely getting the words out.  
Yaksha turned to look, and then scowled at the girl. "Forgive me, your highnesses. I told her to stay out of the way." He cleared his throat and called to her. "Daughter!"  
King Vegeta absently picked a green leaf off of his cloak that the wind had blown there. "I thought these were all of your daughters here, Yaksha."  
"I did not think that my youngest would be of any interest to your Prince, sire. She's three years his minor. I thought that he'd like girls closer to his own age." He turned to greet his youngest child as she aproached, and Prince Vegeta saw the golden symbol of the sun on her forehead - the symbol of her family.   
When her eyes fell on him, he felt his heart beat harder - those dark pools of fire stirred something within him that none of the hundred of girls he had seen before had done.  
Yaksha seemed embarrased as he presented his youngest daughter, who was not dressed nearly as elegantly as her sisters and had traces of mud on her bare feet. "This is Meishakaku," he said, taking her hand.  
"Meishakaku," Prince Vegeta whispered. "Dark angel of fire."  
She glanced over at him and smiled. "Call me Mei."  
The prince was charmed even more by the way she seemed unintimidated by royalty.   
"Well," King Vegeta bellowed, clapping his son on the back, snapping the boy out of his trance, "Shall we go to dinner?"   
Yaksha, horrified at his daughter's manners, was all too eager to dismiss her. "Certainly. Mei, go clean youself up while the King and Prince make themselves comfortable. And be on time for dinner."   
Without a bow or even a nod of the head, Meishakaku turned and dashed away from the group and around a corner.   
  
  
  
Prince Vegeta leaned casually against the wall of the dining room, with his usual scowl on his face. These people took much too long to prepare for dinner. He glanced over at his father who was discussing something with Yaksha. Finaly, the women entered, with Mei trailing behind. Vegeta's scowl faded as his eyes traveled over her new outfit. This dress was just as short as her origional one had been, but a touch more elegant. A pair of thin, white straps held up the dress that started at light blue at the top and deepened in color untill it was dark blue at the very bottom. Instead of bare feet, she now wore a pair of strapy white sandles. Vegeta smirked. She was stunning.  
As everyone aproached the rectangular table to start dinner, Vegeta made an attempt to get a seat next to Mei, however his father had other ideas. Purposefully clearing his throat, the king nodded to the seat next to himself. Scowling again, Vegeta obeyed, bearly stopping himself from glaring at his father as one of Mei's sisters seated herself next to the prince.   
He sighed, glancing to see who had the nerve to sit beside him - it was the childish one with the freckles. She gave him a sweet smile, not seeming to notice he did not particularly enjoy her company. Vegeta glanced up with intrest as Yaksha took the seat across from the king, and Mei placed herself beside her father - directly across from the prince.  
During dinner, Vegeta spent most of his time staring at the youngest daughter of Yaksha. She devoured her food just as quickly as any man, but somehow she managed not to get more that a few specks of food on her face, which she wiped away with a napkin. As the plates were cleared, Yaksha smiled at the girl with the flower in her hair.  
"If it would please your highnesses, my daughter will entertain us with a song. She has the most beautiful voice."  
After a nod from King Vegeta, the scrawny girl stood, looking quite nervous. Clasping her hands behind her back, she broke into a pretty song. After a few moments, the prince became uninterested and let his gaze drift back to Mei. She looked positively bored out of her mind as she absently tried to balance her fork on her wine glass. Her black eyes suddenly met his, and she smiled.  
Vegeta glanced at the woman singing and then back to Mei, rolling his eyes with a smirk. She giggled, and her father rewarded her with a warning glance. She quickly removed the fork from her glass, set it beside her plate and turned her full attention on her older sister, while folding her hands neatly in her lap. Vegeta grinned and fourced himself to at least look like he was watching Mei's sister.   
  
  
  
By the end of the night, the Prince had been entertained by girls who could sing, dance, tell stories, and a number of other things. However the prince had payed little, if any, attention to anyone but Meishakaku. The two had spent the evening silently making fun of the girls who were trying so hard to impress the rulers of Vegeta. When Yaksha stood to lead the royals to where they would stay for the night, Mei and her sisters stood as well and started to make their way to their own rooms.  
"Are you sure you must leave tomorrow morning?" Yaksha asked the king.  
"I'm sure. My son and I have a few others to visit." He sighed wearily, holding a hand to his head as if it ached. "Hopefully this quest for his mate will end soon."  
Vegeta stood. "There will be no need to search any further. I know who I want."  
The girls let out a small collective gasp and looked hopefully at the prince. A few of them flushed with ecitement.  
Yaksha smiled. "You do me a great honor to choose one of my daughters, your highness."  
"Well?" the king grumbled, wishing to be off to bed, "Which is it?"  
"Meishakaku."  
A silence fell over the room. The adults looked surprised, while the other girls looks as if they might cry. The stillness was broken by Mei's clear voice.  
"No!"  
Every eye stared at her with disbelief.  
"Mei!" Her father's eyes flashed and he put a firm grip on her shoulder to silence her. "You are to be the future queen. This is a great honor."  
"I will not marry the prince!" Her father's grip tightened on her shoulder, causing her to wince. However, she glared her defianance at the royalty before her.   
Prince Vegeta smirked. This outbreak of anger made her look even more stunning, if that were possible. She'd make an exquisite queen. "I'm afraid you have no say in the matter," he chuckled. "I have chosen you."   
"No!" She struggled against her father as he drug her out of the room. "I'll die first!" The fire of hatred danced in her eyes as Yaksha pulled her away before she could disgrace him further.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next morning, Vegeta took a deep breath of the crisp air as he waited for his father to finish talking with Yaksha. In a week he and his father would return to claim Meishakaku. The ceremony would be quick and then Prince Vegeta would be well on his way to becoming king.  
He turned to see Mei comming out of her home, her figure slumped and her head bowed. As she stood by her father while he finished speaking with the king, Vegeta aproached her and streatched out his hand.  
When she did not respond, Yaksha tapped her on the small of her back with his forefinger. Strangely, this slight touch made her wince with a look of extreme pain and tears threatened to fall. She hurridly placed her hand in the prince's outstreatched one.  
Vegeta's brow furrowed momentairly. What had her father done to her last night? He gave her hand a brief kiss and then gently pulled her out of Yaksha's reach. After letting her hand slide out of his, he reached down to a pouch tied at his waist.  
"Here," he muttered, taking out a little vile filled with a greenish liquid. He slid it into her hands. "It heals whip marks quickly." Her head snapped up and her eyes met his. He had guessed correctly. Vegeta covered her hands with his gloved ones and leaned in close so he could whisper in her ear. "When you are mine, you will never be whipped again. I swear it."   
Mei regarded him with a frown as he pulled away and left her to join his father. Holding the vile to her chest, she watched the prince take to the air and dissapear from sight.  
  
  
~*~*~ I'm trying *really* hard to get the next chapter out by March 31. Don't hold me too acountable for that. lol. I had to push the date back once allready. School sucks. Especially when all your exams fall on the same week. ;) I'm trying! I am! ~*~*~ 


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